Vertebrates and Invertebrates: Introduction to Vertebrates and Invertebrates (For CBSE, ICSE, IAS, NET, NRA 2023)
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Introduction to Vertebrates
- Vertebrates are those animals, which comprise all species of animals within the subphylum Vertebrata.
- They represent much of the phylum chordata.
- They include groups such as:
- Jawless fishes
- Bony fishes
- Tetrapod՚s, which include amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
- Jawed vertebrates, which include the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, and ratfish)
Characteristics of Vertebrates
- All basal vertebrates breathe with gills.
- The central nervous system of vertebrates is based on a hollow nerve cord running along the length of the animal.
- The defining characteristic of a vertebrate is the vertebral column.
- There is a notochord, which is present as an embryo in all humans and all other vertebrates.
- The mouth is present at the anterior portion.
- The alimentary canal ends in the anus.
Classification of Vertebrates
Invertebrates
- These animals neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a backbone or spine) .
- Apart from subphylum Vertebrate, it includes all animals.
- Invertebrates are so many with different sizes and shapes.
- These animals do not have a backbone.
- Some of the examples of invertebrates include:
- Arthropods (insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods)
- Mollusks (chitons, snail, bivalves, squids, and octopuses)
- Annelid (earthworms and leeches)
Characteristics of Invertebrates
- Invertebrate՚s do not possess lungs and they respire through their skin.
- They are heterotrophic since they cannot produce their own food.
- In all the invertebrates, there may not be a spinal cord or vertebral column.
Kinds of Invertebrates
Ancestral Mollusc
Phylum Annelida
FAQs
Q 1. What are the groups included in Vertebrates?
Answer:
Some of the groups included in vertebrates are:
i) Jawless fishes
ii) Bony fishes
iii) Tetrapod՚s, which include amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
iv) Jawed vertebrates, which include the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, and ratfish)
Q 2. What is the classification of Vertebrates?
Answer:
There are seven classifications of Vertebrates:
i) Birds
ii) Mammals
iii) Reptiles
iv) Amphibians
v) Cartilaginous fishes